If your company is looking for a food-grade third-party logistics (3PL) provider, there’s a lot of vetting required to make sure it can protect the integrity of your products. From the size and cleanliness of the warehouse to the safety and procedural knowledge of employees, there are telltale signs that distinguish the best food-grade 3PLs from the rest of the pack. One of the most important of these is AIB certification, a food-industry standard that shows a 3PL provider truly walks the walk when it comes to food product safety.

What is AIB certification?

“AIB” is short for the American Institute of Baking, AIB International, which was founded in 1919. Now known as AIB International, AIB has become one of the world’s foremost providers of training and certification programs related to food safety, quality management, process optimization, and avoidance of recalls.

AIB’s “Consolidated Standards for Inspection” contain requirements that a food-grade facility (e.g., a 3PL warehouse) must meet to keep food products safe. A brief description of the Standards is as follows.

1. Operational Methods and Personnel Practices
   Focuses on the safe receipt, storage, handling, and processing of raw materials. It ensures that personnel, processes, and conditions do not introduce food safety risks during any stage of production. The goal is to prevent contamination by implementing proper food handling and processing protocols.
2. Maintenance for Food Safety
   Involves the design, upkeep, and management of equipment, buildings, and grounds to maintain a clean and efficient environment. The design and maintenance of structures and equipment are essential to avoid food safety and sanitation issues.
3. Cleaning Practices
   Ensures that equipment, utensils, and buildings are properly cleaned and sanitized to maintain a safe environment. This category includes guidelines for cleaning methods, the use of chemicals, and frequency, focusing on preventing contamination through effective sanitation.
4. Integrated Pest Management
   Involves monitoring, assessing, and managing pest activity to prevent conditions that could support pests in a food environment. This category emphasizes prevention strategies to avoid pest contamination, rather than simply reacting to infestations.
5. Adequacy of Prerequisite and Food Safety Programs
   Ensures that all departments work together through proper management, training, documentation, and teamwork to deliver food safety. These standards make sure that food safety programs are formalized, coordinated, and consistently applied across the facility for uniform execution.

Each of these categories is worth 200 points for scoring during the AIB audit process, creating a total of 1,000 possible points. Facilities (e.g., warehouses) that reach at least 700 points “pass” the audit. Facilities that score in the top 25% within their business category are awarded a “Recognition of High Achievement – Superior.”

AIB audits are conducted annually. The audit process typically takes 1-2 full days and covers every aspect of warehousing operations, from procedure and paperwork review to detailed reviews of equipment and facility conditions.

With such an intensive audit and certification process, only the companies that have full confidence in their abilities will invite such an audit from AIB International (or ASI or a few other highly-regarded competitors of AIB).

Why does it matter if your 3PL has AIB certification?

While all facilities must comply with federal, state, and local regulations (e.g., those associated with the Food Safety and Modernization Act), requirements associated with AIB certification go above and beyond these regulations. AIB requirements challenge facilities to truly optimize operations and create the safest possible environment for food products, not just one that checks boxes associated with laws.

Another thing that AIB certification shows is that a 3PL is process driven. AIB certification focuses on sustainable, repeatable processes that are not dependent on specific people, but rather are built into all roles and procedures within the company. Such a process-driven approach ensures that every action taken inside the logistics warehouse is performed in accordance with food safety best practices.

Certification also shows that your 3PL is “recall ready.” As part of the audit, the 3PL will need to conduct a mock recall on the spot (e.g., using its warehouse management system to identify specific items by lot code or expiration date, and then segregate those products safely). Companies that are AIB-certified have thus proven the ability to handle recalls for your business should one occur.

Other considerations for AIB-certified 3PL providers

Technology capabilities
3PLs like Weber Logistics that have a ‘superior’ rating from AIB International, are leveraging technology to provide real-time tracking, temperature monitoring, and automated alert systems to ensure that food products are stored under optimal conditions. 3PL technology can also provide your company with detailed reports related to your regulatory compliance efforts, giving you peace of mind and complete visibility into your supply chain operations.

Competitive differentiation
AIB certification can make 3PLs stand out from their competition in vying for your services. After all, it’s not every 3PL provider that is willing or able to meet the stringent requirements associated with this certification. Importantly, choosing an AIB-certified provider can also help your business stand apart from your competitors. By working with a certified provider, you can show your customers and the marketplace that your supply chain partners are committed to the highest level of food safety and compliance.

Turn to Weber for AIB-certified logistics from the West Coast

Achieving AIB certification is just the beginning. Maintaining it requires ongoing training, procedural updates, and frequent internal audits. In fact, AIB-certified companies like Weber Logistics often exceed the required standards by implementing innovative operating procedures, such as:

• Continuous employee training: Regular refresher courses on food safety protocols ensure that every team member understands and applies the latest industry standards.
• Process optimization: Using lean methods and process improvement to minimize contamination risks and improve operational efficiency.
• Sustainability practices: Embracing green initiatives in warehousing and transportation to minimize environmental impact while maintaining food safety.

The best food product 3PL providers don’t wait for a once-a-year audit from AIB International to make sure their operations are buttoned up – they audit themselves. At Weber Logistics, for example, we have a dedicated compliance team that performs quarterly audits of our operations that are every bit as stringent as the AIB audit. When the AIB audit does roll around, it’s business as usual for us as we already comply with the most exacting standards in the industry: our own.

Contact Weber today to learn how an AIB-certified 3PL provider can support your food, beverage, and confectionery logistics operations from the West Coast.